Top man Mr G, baye kil

HUMBLE: Hoete puts the finishing touches to his portrait of Hamuera Meketu Ngarimu. Pictures by Melissa Hoete

EAST Coast sheds and water tanks became canvases for portraits by aerosol artist Graham Hoete when he headed up State Highway 35 after completing his mural on the Farmlands building in Gisborne.

Among works he sprayed up in Ruatoria is a portrait of Hamuera Meketu Ngarimu, father of Moana Nui-a-kiwa Ngarimu who features in his Gisborne mural, on the family homestead. After running a free art workshop for the Ruatoria community, Hoete, also known as Mr G, topped the day off with a mural based on one of his favourite life themes — hope.

His last Ruatoria piece is of a majestic Mount Hikurangi he painted on the township’s Whakarua Pavilion.

“The longer than expected stay in Ruatoria allowed Mr G to visit Mt Hikurangi which also featured in his recent Gisborne project,” says an update on Radio Ngati Porou’s Facebook page.

“The hikoi up to Te Takapau a Maui 1000 metres above sea level was topped off by two karearea (falcon) attacking his drone.”

In Haparapara, near Omaio, about 50 kilometres east of Opotiki, Hoete painted a portrait of Witeri Savage on the rear of a corrugated iron building.

“This whole journey has been very surreal and extremely humbling,” said Hoete on his Facebook page.

As Radio Ngati Porou says: “Ma te wa, Mr G. Catch you up baye kil.”